Ashleigh Early Highlights Common Pitfalls Marketers Face, Urges Appreciation

In a recent LinkedIn post, Ashleigh Early highlights common frustrations and inefficiencies that marketers often encounter when collaborating with non-marketers, while also expressing deep appreciation for the marketing profession. Early, who identifies as someone who works closely with marketers but is not one herself, shared a list of things she vows to stop doing to make collaborations smoother and more respectful of marketing expertise.

Avoiding Common Collaboration Mistakes

Early’s post offers a candid look at recurring issues, framing them as lessons learned through experience. She details specific actions she will no longer take, emphasizing the need for clarity and proper process in marketing requests. Among her promises is a commitment to never again provide an outline without accompanying sample or suggested copy, a common point of friction when expectations around content creation are unclear.

“Give an outline without sample/suggested copy”

Furthermore, Early addresses the importance of providing necessary assets in the correct format. She pledges to stop asking marketers to “use logo” or “use photo” without supplying a direct link to the specific asset needed, and conversely, promises to ensure any logos shared have a transparent background. This attention to detail, she implies, saves marketers significant time and effort.

Streamlining Marketing Requests

Another key area Early focuses on is the timing and sharing of brand guidelines. She states a commitment to never share the brand guide mid-session, advocating instead for its distribution in advance. This proactive approach, according to Early, allows marketers to integrate brand standards from the outset of a project, preventing rework and ensuring consistency.

“Share the brand guide mid-session (𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦)”

Early also touches upon the often-unrealistic expectations surrounding project timelines. She promises to cease estimating how long a task will take, admitting that her own guesses are frequently inaccurate. This self-awareness highlights a broader challenge in understanding the complexities of marketing execution.

The Perils of ‘Going Viral’ and AI Misuse

The post directly confronts two prevalent, often misguided, inquiries directed at marketers. Early states she will no longer ask about “how to go viral,” acknowledging it as a nebulous and often unachievable goal. Similarly, she has vowed to stop asking, “Can’t you spin up a draft using AI?” This sentiment underscores a growing awareness of the nuances involved in leveraging AI effectively for marketing, beyond simple content generation.

“Say ‘Can’t you spin up a draft using AI?'”

Early’s list also includes practical grievances such as sharing images by pasting them into a Google Doc, a method that often leads to formatting issues and is inefficient for design professionals.

Championing Marketing Professionals

Beyond the list of self-imposed restrictions, the core message of Early’s post is a powerful endorsement of marketing professionals. She expresses consistent admiration for their ability to transform raw ideas into polished, effective campaigns.

“So I’m not a marketer – but I work with them a lot – and I’m still always impressed how quickly they can take my random a** idea and not only make it pretty but improve it a TON.”

She concludes by urging readers to express gratitude to the marketers in their lives, referring to them unequivocally as “heros.” This closing sentiment elevates the post from a mere list of professional pet peeves to a genuine tribute, celebrating the skill, creativity, and hard work that marketers bring to businesses.